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[nearly50]

Hi, just wondering people's views on this. Got tested for the first time last week through Medicheck and these are my results, with ranges.

TRIGLYCERIDES                 1.37           mmol/L    0.00 -2.30
CHOLESTEROL                  *6.34           mmol/L    0.00 -4.99
HDL CHOLESTEROL              *1.88           mmol/L    1.20 -1.70
LDL CHOLESTEROL              *3.84           mmol/L    0.00 -3.00

My total cholesterol, good cholesterol and bad cholesterol are all high - my ratio is only 3.37 though.

Bit of background - weigh under 8 stone, walk at least an hour a day (usually hit 10,000 steps by midday). Vegetarian, very rarely eat fried food, or much dairy. Do use butter but only when I buy bread, which is fairly rare).

One the one hand I think this focus on cholesterol figures is mad and that my risk of heart attack/stroke is still low and that I'm doing everything I can. On the other I wonder if I should be looking at my diet, I do think it is fairly restricted as I have digestive problems and am paranoid about eating quite a few things.

Think this is down to hormones to be honest - anyone have any words of wisdom?

[Kathleen]

Hello nearly50.

I am ten years older than you but we are similar in many ways as I am also eight stone, a daily walker and a vegetarian. My cholesterol was within normal range when I had it tested about five years ago but that was before I was fully vegetarian. The reason I'm posting is that I read recently that a high fibre intake helps to lower cholesterol levels so you may want to increase the amount of fruit and veg you eat if that's possible for you.

Wishing you well.

K.

[nearly50]

sparkle, you're probably better not knowing! Thanks for the link, it reminded me of what is possibly the most important factor - my dad had a heart attack at 47, and had heart disease for the rest of his life. Lasted to 88 though!

Thanks Kathleen, I eat a lot of fruit but probably should eat more vegetables. Looking at high fibre and oatmeal/berries/avocado seems the way forward. What to eat becomes such a minefield when you have digestive problems too.

medicheck told me to input figures here
https://qrisk.org/2016/

and go to doctor if I scored above 10% and I score 2.5% so I need to get this into context!

[Mary G]

My cholesterol is always raised when my oestrogen levels are low.   Now that I have a constant high blood level of oestrogen, my cholesterol levels are normal for the first time in over 16 years i.e.  when I started menopause.  Same goes for blood pressure.

I realise it might not be the same for everyone but it is worth considering.

[Machair]

My feeling is very much that cholesterol is not the enemy we used to all think it was. It is sugar. Have a watch of this video I think it explains my views on things.Just remember to convert the readings given to UK equivalents using the link underneath.

http://www.drnorthrup.com/video/blood-sugar-your-key-to-vibrant-health/

http://www.joslin.org/info/conversion_table_for_blood_glucose_monitoring.html

My Mum had a severe stroke with a cholesterol of 3.3 but her fasting glucose was 7. She has never recovered and is now a very poorly lady dying from vascular dementia.Never actually diagnosed as diabetic, but on the borders with those sugars, and her diet was absolutely dreadful. It could be a coincidence, but I am not a fan of worrying about cholesterol any more. Mine is similar to yours nearly50. However my blood glucose machine tells all- eat too many simple carbs and sugars stay elevated for much longer than if I eat well. I have to be careful as I am at risk of diabetes as my last baby was over 10lbs.

This is good too.
http://www.drnorthrup.com/video/medical-tests-women-over-60/

[CAT ON LAP]

Hi,

Interesting reading. My fasting glucose was tested last week at 6.8, yesterday i did it again with the glucose drink. Results monday and asked for cholestrol check too, never had it done before. Improving my diet which wasn't bad anyway. Wondering if hormones changing things. Never had problem before.

Thanks

[nearly50]

Thanks so much Machair, I will have a proper look later at home   I think what you say is very true though and I have been trying to eat low sugar items over the past year or so, and not really paying attention to levels of fat as much as I used to.

Mary G, this was one of my other results, taken at the same time
17-BETA OESTRADIOL            910.5          pmol/L

so I think that means my oestrogen levels were pretty high at the time.

[Cassie]

Thats a healthy Oestrodiol reading:) I agree with cholesterol not being as great an issue as the sugar levels, and your good cholesterol is really nice and high which my Dr told me balances out the naughty cholesterol so I really would not stress if you are eating a balanced diet cutting bk on the sugar and getting enough exercise.

[breeze]

Don't worry about your cholesterol, it's just a health red herring. Give it a few more years and it will have dropped of the radar.

Check out this website for more info.

https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/

[Machair]

Just a point nearly50 my gran ate a very high fat diet and I mean high fat, and she lived to 102 and got a telegram from the queen! She was rather sceptical of doctors and loved nothing more than Lancashire home baking. She was very content with her life, and had very little, so may be this is the way to be. Mind you in her day there was no pressure to attend screenings or medical appointments, so I think people lived in peace in a way - in the dark but happy!

[Hurdity]

My cholesterol is higher than that - it was 7.4 when measured a few weeks ago. Even so the doc was not worried because I am not overweight (although just under 9 stone - but medium frame size), exercise a lot, have a very healthy diet masses of fruit and veg, lean protein, yogurt, eggs, nuts etc but eat very few carbs and almost no sugar except fruit ( and wine/G & T at weekend  ). There isn't anything else I can do. Doc said that some people have naturally higher cholesterol.  She also did that Q test thing and I was low risk.

I certainly don't need any more oestrogen - OK my levels will be nothing like yours nearly50 - (that is very high - it is within the range of the ovulatory peak or late follicular phase and I presume you are still peri-menopausal so that will be some of your own - that would be probably too high to sustain into your 60's I imagine - due to having to take all that progestogen) - but I have no flushes and mine are probably consistent with early follicular phase. I haven't had them measured for years. I certainly would not increase oestrogen just to see if cholesterol is reduced.

I haven't read the links but wonder if my high protein/fruit/veg diet has something to do with it as I rarely eat bread, cereals, rice, pasta or potatoes - not even once a day.

nearly50 when I had mine done a year ago my HDL was 1.7, LDL 4.2, Total 6.5 but the ratio was 3.82 and it is OK if less than 4. Therefore I am puzzled about all of this (ie the individual readings) - my doc said the ratio was more important! I will have a look at the links at some point which probably explain...

Hurdity x

[nearly50]

Great, thanks a lot for that. All very reassuring and I think I will keep thinking about cutting sugars rather than worrying too much about fat. Good for me to just check what I'm eating again though and make a bit more effort.

Hurdity, all that oestrodiol is my own as I'm not on HRT. Still perimenopausal  FSH is 16 and LH 21 so all pointing to midcycle. Though what's midcycle when you've had one period in 5 months?!

Thanks everyone

[Justjules]

Just a point nearly50 my gran ate a very high fat diet and I mean high fat, and she lived to 102 and got a telegram from the queen! She was rather sceptical of doctors and loved nothing more than Lancashire home baking. She was very content with her life, and had very little, so may be this is the way to be. Mind you in her day there was no pressure to attend screenings or medical appointments, so I think people lived in peace in a way - in the dark but happy!

Machair, my Nan was exactly the same! Always looked for the fattiest meat, ate cream and butter, wasn't overweight and lived till 99!!! Didn't ail much at all. Food was a lot simpler and not tampered with though unlike it is now.

[Machair]

Oh yes and my Gran used to tell tales about "The Change" and how several times her periods were so heavy she flooded and ruined beds and chairs! Then she went on to live her entire life in years all over again!

[cubagirl]

I managed to get my cholesterol down from 6.5 to 4.8 a couple of years ago, watching what I ate & exercising more. It's crept up, but GP wasn't unduly worried by it. I'm back exercising again, though not keeping such a close eye on how much I'm eating as it became a chore. But I do try & eat fairly sensibly. I find being dairy free makes it harder sometimes as foodstuffs tend to be made sweeter as a result. I do as much of my own cooking as I can using substitutes.